Have yourself a Merry Conscious Christmas

Have yourself a Merry Conscious Christmas!

Christmas is the time for friends, family and giving! At Heroica we LOVE giving, but we especially love gifts that give back. If you click 'Conscious Christmas' on the main menu then you can see the gifts we have collated for a more conscious Christmas, but what does that really mean and why does it matter to us?

We live in a time of consumerism and although Heroica is adding to that - we are selling products after all, we're selling high quality products that should last you years - not throw away fashion that will end up in a landfill next season. We also ensure that we are reducing plastic packaging - anyone who has ordered from us will know that your products are delivered beautifully folded, but not wrapped in endless plastic. But mainly, we are constantly searching for brands with an conscious attitude.

So here is why we have selected these three brands for our Conscious Christmas Gift Guide.

Pip & Nut butters use absolutely NO Palm Oil. Why is this important? You may have heard a lot of information about Palm oil on the news in recent months. Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil made from the fruit of the African oil palm tree and has a strong foothold in Indonesia. However, not only is Palm Oil bad for the environment, and a major cause of climate change, but it is also the leading cause of orangutan extinction. Every year it is estimated that between 1,000 to 5,000 orangutans are killed in Palm Oil concessions. That is a significant portion of the wild orangutan population which is lost–without fail–every single year!!

However, It’s not too late! This horrific trend can be stopped with a little help from all of us! Your consumerism can be the key to help save orangutans from extinction. The palm oil industry only thrives as long as there is a demand for palm oil and consumers keep buying products that contain palm oil. The way that consumers spend their money determines what gets produced and what gets sold. Therefore, the less we buy, the lesser the demand! Make Pip & Nut your go-to alternative!

What makes these mats and accessories so different? Luxurious and absorbent sueded microfiber (made of recycled plastic bottles!) is bonded to a natural tree rubber base giving you the sweaty grip of a towel and the cushion of a yoga mat. Not only that, the mats are also printed using water based inks and are biodegradable!

However, it's not just the mats from Yoga Design Lab that are conscious. Their accessories such as their straps and blocks are also printed with the same water based inks, they recyclable.

Blending fashion-forward design elements with innovative functionality and bio-renewable consciousness is key to the Yoga Design Lab approach. From their insulated stainless steel water bottles (reduce your use of plastic water bottles please!), to the hot yoga mats comprised of biodegradable natural tree rubber, to the water based inks used in our printed designs, we can all make a difference with the products we buy!

Firstly, Yuhme water bottles are made from 100% sugarcane which is a renewable resource that is CO2 negative and fully recyclable. The bottles are free from all toxins such as Bisphenol A, Phthalates, and additives. But in our opinion, the most important thing about Yuhme bottles is that for each bottle sold, someone in the Central African Republic is provided with clean water for six months via Yuhme's partners; Water For Good.

According to Wateraid there is over 650million people who lack access to safe water, with a further 2.3 billion who don't have access to adequate sanitation. The vast majority of these live in sub-saharan Africa and the water crisis is just one of many issues facing the most neglected people on this planet. Whilst we can't solve all the problems these people face on a daily basis, we must start somewhere and access to clean water and sanitation allows people to start putting their efforts into other areas. For example, children into school because they don't need to walk great distances to fetch dirty water that then only makes them sick with amebic dystenery, hep A, Cholera and Typhoid. It's time for us all to stand up for these people because that is exactly what they are, people!

We know what we'll be giving our friends and family for Christmas this year, but what will you be choosing? Shop your Conscious Christmas gifts here.